Strength training for older adults is beneficial because these exercises help build muscle strength and muscle mass and preserve bone density.
Strength training has the ability to combat weakness, fragility and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
But at some point, in your 30s, you start to lose muscle mass and function. The cause is age-related sarcopenia or sarcopenia with aging. Physically inactive people can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after age 30.
It is recommended that older adults should strength train two to three times a week for at least 20 minutes up to 30 minutes. Muscle mass can be increased through training at an intensity corresponding to 60% to 85% of the individual maximum voluntary strength.
As you get older muscles shrink and you lose strength which opens the likelihood of injuries from falling. To prevent this then you need to ensure you have an adequate intake of protein on a daily basis.
Strength training will help you lose weight and look better IF you do two key things for effective weight loss. Eat a balanced, healthy diet, low in sugar and processed foods and strength train with progressive overload (picking up heavier stuff).
“Progressive overload requires a gradual increase in volume, intensity, frequency or time in order to achieve the targeted goal of the user.”
A lot of people have a misconception that strength training is all about body building, when in reality it’s more about creating resistance for the muscles. If we create a resistance to the muscles in the three planes of movement (i.e. functional activities) then we are able to perform daily actions and movements a lot better as you age.
As with any type of resistance exercise it’s vital that you perform the movement in a safe manner so it’s often not how heavy you can lift, it’s more about the movement being in a controlled manner, engaging the correct muscles.
If you would like to add some new exercises to your programme then please contact us to book a review.
